By New York Post (World News) | Created at 2025-04-01 14:15:09 | Updated at 2025-04-02 19:41:54
1 day ago
A Jetstar flight heading to Melbourne from Bali overnight was forced to turn around after a “nightmare” situation unfolded where a passenger tried to open the aircraft door.
Flight JQ-34 left Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport at about 5:40 a.m. (8:40 p.m. AST) with more than 200 passengers on board.
It was flying at an altitude of 33,000 feet when a woman tugged at the door, trying to open it about two hours into its journey to Melbourne.
“We had an aircraft return to Denpasar last night after a disruptive passenger attempted to open one of the aircraft doors and was abusive to our crew,” a Jetstar spokesperson told news.com.au.
“The safety and welfare of our customers and crew is our top priority and we thank them for the way they responded to the situation.
“This sort of unacceptable behavior will never be tolerated on our flights.”
The plane returned to Denpasar, where the woman was removed from the aircraft by the local authorities.
News.com.au understands the flight was cancelled and that customers were provided with an alternative flight.
A passenger who was on the flight described the ordeal as an “absolute nightmare.”
“Just got off our Jetstar flight from Bali to home. Two hours in, a lady tried opening the emergency door because she wanted to get off mid-air,” she said in an Instagram clip.
“Absolutely nightmare [sic]. Had to turn around and land back in Bali for her to get arrested. 260 angry and scared passengers. Police escorted her off plane [sic].”
The passenger recorded the captain’s announcement upon returning to Bali, where he explained the “unpleasant” situation to passengers.
“A lady down the back of the aircraft tried to physically open the door, [she] lifted the handle. We got a door warning … the safest course of action was to come back here,” the captain said, according to the recording.
He said he had contacted the airline to get more information about what was happening including travel plans, and said he and the crew were doing the best they could.
“Thank you for cooperation. We are the best we can for this unpleasant situation,” he said.
Following his announcement, the plane erupted in a round of applause for the way the crew handled the situation.
Aussie reality star Brooke Jowett was also on the flight. In an Instagram Story, the Survivor All Star alum said she got back to a hotel at about 1 a.m. after “our lovely night, and our scare on the flight.”
“Turns out the reason behind the lady wanting to open the door is because she wanted to sit in a different row and have a chair that could recline,” Brooke explained.
“So she decided to try to open the doors, which apparently triggered something to do with the emergency slide and yeah, it was a big bloody big panic, it was very, very scary but we’re fine.”
Brooke said the woman was arguing with Jetstar staff about her seat, and the situation escalated.
“She was unhappy and wanted to get off. One of the guys who was sitting in front of us was down near the toilets, and he pulled her away from the door as she was trying to open it.
“He was an off-duty police officer, apparently, so he saved the day. Thank God for that.
“But yeah, don’t know what would have happened otherwise. I know there’re a few security measures, but it wasn’t fun.”
Professor Doug Drury, head of aviation at Central Queensland University, previously told news.com.au the exit door on a plane could not be above an altitude of 10,000 feet as the cabin was pressurized to 8,000 feet – making the door impossible to open.
The difference between the internal cabin pressure and the outside air pressure effectively seals the doors, particularly on modern planes such as the Airbus A330.
It comes after another incident in which two men were involved in a heated argument on a flight from Melbourne to Bali, with other passengers forced to intervene.
It is unknown when the incident took place, but Jetstar is investigating and has praised its crew for how they managed the situation.
The clip that was shared on Instagram and Reddit shows two men yelling at one another, with one appearing to be saying, “One of us is going to f*****g die … you watch.”
Jetstar said it has a “zero-tolerance policy” for disruptive and abusive behaviour on flights.
